Wire, the new communications app backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friss, debuted to much fanfare this week. But mere days later, the app is already embroiled in controversy after an answer in its user FAQ oversold the company's security chops.

Wire uses end-to-end encryption for its voice calls, which should make it nearly impossible for anyone to eavesdrop depending on how the encryption was implemented. Hurrah!

But Wire can also be used for sharing photos, links, and text—all of which does not use end-to-end encryption. Instead, text and media are encrypted between a device and Wire’s servers, meaning the company could theoretically decrypt any message passing through its data center.

That deficit prompted noted security researcher known online as The Grugq to warn people against using Wire. “New messenger @wire DOES NOT encrypt messages or media end to end. It is not safe, do not use,” he wrote on Twitter.

The story behind the story: In this post-Snowden age where privacy is top of mind, encryption is a big feature that many tech companies are trying to build into their products. Even Google and Yahoo are working on end-to-end encryption for their email products.

Much ado about FAQ

The failure to use end-to-end encryption for text and media is not unusual. Ars Technica reported in May 2013 that Microsoft was doing something similar with Skype.

But Wire may also have been misleading its users. The new service’s FAQ section used to feature an explanation about who can see the messages you send using Wire, according to a report by Motherboard. The now-pulled FAQ reportedly stated that “your messages and conversation history can only been seen by you and the people in those conversations.”

If Wire has the ability to decrypt and read your messages (regardless of whether it actually uses that power) then clearly more people than just you and your pals can read your conversation.

Shortly after Motherboard contacted Wire that FAQ question was pulled. The site now has a similar question that asks, “who can see my messages on Wire?” The response: “Your messages and conversation history are not public. They are only displayed in the conversations in which you posted them.”

Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has never met a tech subject he didn't like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he's not covering the news he's working on how-to tips for PC users, or tuning his eGPU setup.